Week Twenty-One: The Murrumbidgee to the Mighty Murray

Famous Beechworth Bakery in Echuca

As week Twenty-One rolled past you can’t blame us for getting confused as to where we have been and what we have seen. Just this week we have driven through the towns of Canowindra, Cowra, Cootamundra, Culcairn, Corowa and Cobran, crossed the Macquarie, Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers and camped on the banks of Lake Mulwala. Phew! If you are confused, imagine how we feel. At times all the towns blur into one and we ask ourselves “Have we been to SuchnSuch?” With the answer usually being “Yeah. That is where the big thingamajig is”. Or in GK’s case “They have a great bakery and a old pub on the corner”.

 

Another old pub but a beauty according to the expert

It doesn’t help that all these towns have kept their beautiful old heritage buildings and have picturesque tree-lined streetscapes. They are usually very well maintained, with lovely gardens and parks dotted throughout. We seemed to have bowled everything over in WA in the name of progress and have only Toodyay and York left as remnants of the past. Even the bigger towns of Bathurst, Lithgow, Orange and Wagga Wagga have preserved most of their historical buildings and we were amused to see shops like Target Country, Sports Power and even Myer with 150-year-old facades. There is usually a slick, modern building either side and we love to see the juxtaposition of the different styles. The old working equally with the new. Synergy. (Second big word - now I am showing off!) 

The Old Post Office in Echuca

Even though we prefer the smaller towns, we did stay two days in Bathurst, as we wanted to visit the Jenolan Caves. They are the world’s oldest cave system and are nestled in the Blue Mountains world Heritage Area with ‘awe-inspiring caverns, pure underground rivers and breathtaking formations.’ I have to quote from the brochure, as we didn’t get to see them! 

We did our homework, although not well enough as it turned out, and timed our arrival at the Caves so we could have lunch before touring the Chifley Cave with its ‘exquisite spar crystal’. The tourist information we read said the road wasn’t suitable for vehicles towing caravans or trailers, as there was 20kms of unsealed road with twists and turns and a steep drop on one side. It advised us to ‘take care’. As we had left the caravan in Bathurst we thought “Piece of cake”. Wrong!! 

We proceeded to negotiate our way down a slippery goat track and 5km in I was convinced that we had taken a wrong turn. I couldn’t understand how this could be a tourist drive to one of NSW’s major attractions. He must have felt the same as GK didn’t put up much of a fight when I tearfully insisted on turning back. Happy wife, happy life as they say. We found a corner on a hairpin bend where we could turn around, praying that no one would come hurtling down the mountain, pushing us into the abyss. It would be such a shitty way to end our holiday. So unfortunately we didn’t get to see the caves. Better safe than sorry.

View over Bathurst from Mount Panorama

When I mentioned the condition of the road to the owner of a shop in the pretty little Alpine town of Oberon near the turn off to the caves, she shrugged and said it was ‘okay’ although they were always working on it and it was closed everyday and only open for descending traffic between 11.45am and 1.45pm as the road is one-way. It was important for cave visitors to time their exit or they could be stuck there. There has to be a better system than that! Mind you, it would be very hard to build another lane onto the existing one, as it is 1113 metres above sea level and precariously hanging off a mountain! Good luck! We wont be back.

Mount Panorama. Say no more!

While in Bathurst we had to do the obligatory bog lap or two around the Mount Panorama Racing Circuit. It is amazing to think it is a public road with people live along its length. I bet they hate October when the Bathurst 1000 is held for Super Cars, which do 161 laps of ear splitting racing with all the thrills and spills it entails. It would be a good time to rent your house out to some dedicated rev heads and leave town for the duration. I know I would.

Beautiful Japanese Gardens in Cowra

One of the prettiest towns we visited was Cowra on the way to Wagga Wagga. Its claim to fame is the Cowra Breakout when over 1000 Japanese prisoners launched a mass escape from the Prisoner of War Campsite. It is the largest prisoner of war breakout in modern military history and 231 Japanese and four Australian soldiers lost their lives. From this violent beginning there has been a very successful attempt at reconciliation and friendship between the people of Cowra and Japan. 

 

I am feeling Japanese, I am feeling very Japanese in the beautiful gardens in Cowra.

This is particularly evident in the stunning Japanese Garden and Cultural Centre on the edge of town. Ken Nakajima designed it with the ‘strolling’ garden featuring the Japanese landscape in an Australian setting. The towering gums overlook the manicured gardens, serene lakes and cascading streams with sweeping views over Cowra’s countryside. We spent a leisurely hour wandering around the gardens feeding the ducks and the Koi carp and marvelling at the glorious cherry blossoms in flower. The Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival) is to be held this week and we are so sorry we will miss it. Should have been more organized and shuffled things around to coincide with the festival. Never mind

And they are on their way for the annual Tractor Trek!

We were, however, in Young at the same time as the Annual Tractor Trek was being held. Definitely a poor second to the Cherry Blossom Festival but still fun to watch the dedicated farm machine enthusiasts rumble past in over 160 vintage and new tractors. We stayed at the trotting track next door, as we couldn’t get into the showgrounds because it was completely booked out by the ‘Trekkers’. It would have to be the most uncomfortable ride imaginable but didn’t seem to worry the guys who had travelled from all over Australia for the event. Restoring old machinery seems like a great hobby as they were having a ball. A perfect example of the adage Act, Belong, Commit to live a longer and happier life. Good on them!

 

The old and the new lining up for the Tractor Trek

I am watching you!

Wagga Wagga is on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River and we spent two days there poking around and dodging the swooping magpies. One had it in for GK and he had to make a dash to the showers, car and anywhere else he dared to venture. In the end he had to put up our awning so he could shelter under it to barbeque our chops. The cheeky bugger even swooped him there. I can’t understand why he chose GK as he is such an animal lover. Who knows? Apparently they only attack in the first month of spring so we should soon be safe. Fingers crossed. 

On the banks of the Murrumbidgee River at Wagga Wagga

We have done a lot of driving this week and are now in Victoria on the banks of the mighty Murray River in Echuca. The port is a living monument to the 1870’s when it was Australia’s largest inland port. Authentic steam driven paddlesteamers depart daily from the Echuca Wharf, which was home to the TV series ‘All the Rivers Run’ starring Jon Walters and Sigrid Thornton. Today we walked into town in the glorious sunshine to look at the shops and admire the Victorian houses and gardens. No maggies here so we had a lovely time.

Authentic paddlesteamer on the mighty Murray at Echuca

Next week should be a ripper as we will be catching up with Ron and Marg Clegg, our great mates from Perth for the Mildura Country Music Festival. In between listening to some fantastic entertainment we will be watching the Eagles beat Collingwood on Saturday. Let’s hope that swooping magpie wasn’t a bad omen for the Grand Final. GK will front up again on Sunday to watch his rugby league team, the Roosters play the Storm . With all these Eagles, Magpies and Roosters, I hope his teams don’t get roasted! We will know all about it by next week and I hope we are ‘grinners’. It will make life so much easier for me. Go the Eagles! Have a great week and love to everyone xxxx

No wattle at Cootamundra but so much on the roadsides through NSW.

We didn't linger longer in Yarrawonga but loved free camping on the banks of Lake Mulwala closeby. Bliss

Watching the trotters training early in the morning at Young

Love the Cherry Blossoms!

Week Twenty: Dubbo and Mudgee

Some welcome greenery near Mudgee

The names Dubbo and Mudgee don’t conjure up images of vibrant cosmopolitan towns but they are and we were pleasantly surprised to find very neat, tree-lined heritage streetscapes with an abundance of cafes and restaurants in each town. Both are nestled in rich pastoral land surrounded by rolling hills and fertile farmlands. They have had recent rain so there was a tinge of green on the hills, fields and gardens around the towns. It was lovely to see after weeks of travelling through depressing drought-affected areas. It certainly put a smile of people’s faces including ours.

Cattle grazing in the 'long paddock' near Dubbo

The drought isn’t over yet as we witnessed driving into Dubbo. Farmers are seeking permits from the Local Land Services agency to drive their cattle through the narrow strip of grass between their farm fences and the roads known as ‘the long paddock’. In some cases it is the only feed available to them as their farms are so drought ravaged. We crept through a mob of about 300 cattle as they munched their way through some much-needed grass. It brought the drought up close and personal as the un-streetwise cattle wandered in front and around us. It was great to see everyone making allowances and giving them a wide berth. 

 Dubbo promotes itself as a holiday destination offering big adventures from heart pumping adrenaline activities to laid-back relaxation. No prizes for guessing what we chose. A visit to the award winning Taronga Western Plains Zoo is an absolute ‘must do’ while in Dubbo and it didn’t disappoint. We had a fantastic day walking and driving our way around the 6km circuit looking at all the animals roaming around from meerkats to big cats. I am not a zoo fan (or circus) but I was very impressed with the wellbeing of the animals as they all looked very healthy and content. 

The 300-hectare open-range sanctuary undertakes a vital role in national and international breeding programs for rare and endangered species including the black rhino and cheetah. One of its new programs that opened this year is Lion Pride Lands where they have successfully bred lion cubs. We paid $29 each on top of our entrance fee to go on ‘an adrenaline pumping journey inside lion territory aboard the Pride Lands Patrol’. We climbed on board the purpose built, fully enclosed safari truck to head deep into lion territory with our experienced zoo guide to spot the pride as they ‘stalk, play and survey their domain’.

'Yo bro. What's happening?' Not a lot as you can see. The 'boys' chillin' under a tree.

Security was a huge concern and we had to pass through four air-lock gates to enter the huge  fenced enclosure where we saw four ‘teenage’ male lions doing what most teenage boys do – sleeping under a tree. We rattled around the ‘truck’ for twenty minutes while our lovely guide gave us a talk about lions in general and then we exited through the four gates and went back to our pick up point. Exactly thirty minutes later and $58 poorer, we got off the bus with GK exclaiming, “Is that it!!?” I think he was expecting the lions to stalk and pull down a wildebeest or two and devour them in front of us. The only adrenaline pumping was mine as I tried to placate him and steer him away from the other disillusioned passengers with lots of “Ssshing” and “Careful. She will hear you”. “Rip off!” was his final comment. I had to agree. You win some, you lose some. The rest of the zoo experience was fantastic and we would highly recommend it. Just leave the grumpy old man at home.

Famous Ten Dollar Town Pub in Henry Lawson's stomping ground in Gulgong

It was a picturesque drive from Dubbo to Mudgee through more undulating pastures where there are signs of Spring flowerings everywhere. In another month it will be spectacular when all the poplars shoot and crepe myrtles burst into blossom. We stepped back in time in the quaint little village of Gulgong, which featured on the original $10 note and where Henry Lawson spent most of his youth. The streetscape and heritage listed buildings haven’t changed much since the late 1800’s with high footpaths and narrow bent streets. The town boasts that it is ‘steeped in history and gorgeousness’ and we have to agree. It was a lovely stopover on our way to Mudgee.

GK outside Lowe's Winery near Mudgee

We loved Mudgee! It is a town of 25,000 people, 268km north west of Sydney and has no traffic lights! It is a very refined country town with a rich pastoral history reflected in its wide tree-lined heritage streetscapes. It has a sophisticated café and boutique shopping precinct, which offers a slice of city life with all the advantages of a laid-back country lifestyle. There are many ‘tree changers’ moving from the big smoke to make Mudgee their home. We can see why as it has something for everyone. 

One of the disadvantages of country living in Mudgee is reverse parking. I struggle with forward parking.

By luck we were in town for the annual Mudgee Wine and Food Festival where you can ‘swirl and sip’ your way across 40 family-owned cellar doors. With our Mudgee Mud Map we set off exploring and called into several boutique wineries to sample their wares. The region is famous for its reds and GK was in seventh heaven tasting some fabulous shirazes and cab savs. We had to curb our enthusiasm as we had to drive and had already been through a RBT that morning. We settled in at Moothi Estate, which has the rustic address of 85 Rocky Waterhole Road, Mudgee. We sat on the sun-drenched deck and shared a ploughman’s lunch with a glass of wine before creeping back into town evading Mr. Plod. It was a great day. 

We could have spent more time in Dubbo and Mudgee but time is ticking on and we are now on the homeward trail. Like Brown’s cows it is hard not to drop everything and head straight home but we have many more kilometres to cover and several ‘bucket list’ places to see and do before we turn west. Twenty weeks is a long time away from family and friends and we can’t wait to catch up with all of you in a few weeks. In the meantime we will keep on keeping on and reporting our escapades weekly. Keep safe and lots of love.   

 

Cheers! Loving the Pinot Grigio with lunch.

Does it get any better than this?! See you there TA.

Week Nineteen: The Gold Coast and Hinterland

The Gold Coast

Rain has really put a dampener on this week’s shenanigans as we have lost a couple of days of planned activities because of it. Never mind. We are happy for the farmers and hope they get follow up rain - after we have gone of course! Our much-anticipated stay on Bribie Island was disappointing as the constant drizzle kept us confined to the caravan. Bribie is the smallest of three islands sheltering the northern part of Moreton Bay and the places we did see reminded us of Mandurah with its Esplanade, beaches and canals. It is a very popular holiday destination as well. We would like to visit again when the weather is warmer and we can get out and explore what it has to offer. It proves that you can’t win them all and we have been extremely lucky so far. 

The bridge connecting Bribie Island to the mainland near Caloundra

We left Bribie and took our lives in our hands when we tackled the M1 on our way down to the Gold Coast in pouring rain. The traffic was horrendous and at times we were sandwiched between thundering road trains. The Gateway Motorway joins the Pacific and Bruce Highways and bypasses the Brisbane CBD, which is very convenient, but the very intimidating Gateway Bridge, which rises 64.5 metres above the river and is 1,627 metres long was hair raising especially with our windscreen wipers going flat out. It was a huge relief to pull into our caravan park at Tallebudgera, south of Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast.

Sunnier times in Brisbane 2012

Our great mates, Ross and Sue Thomas, from our Frontline buying group were holidaying there in their caravan so it was a beaut chance to catch up. Ross and Graham were Directors on the Frontline board with Ross representing Queensland and GK representing WA. We catch up whenever we are in each other’s back yards and like all great friends, pick up where we left off. Sue and I hit it off right from the get go when we met years ago and love catching up with all the goss on family and friends. Their store in Pittsworth was very similar to ours in Moora and they too have sold and retired and hit the road whenever they can. We are already planning meeting up in Broome next year. Should be great fun.

Ross, Sue, CK and GK on top of Hinze Dam

During a very boozy night in the Thomas’ annexe where GK led Ross astray, emptying his red wine stash, we planned to drive up to Springbrook National Park and onto Hinze Dam where we would enjoy a long bush walk before returning to Tallebudgera to have a paddle in their motorised kayaks. Those plans went out the window, much to GK’s relief, as the day was overcast with threatening showers. We set off anyway with Sue and me ensconced in the back and GK and Ross driving and navigating respectively (with mixed results!) their way up the Great Dividing Range. Somehow we missed the turn off to Hinze Dam but found a café, which specialised in fudge making so warmed ourselves with a hot coffee and sampled some yummy fudge. The diet is back on the back burner. I will never fit into my size 12 ‘frock’ for the wedding as life keeps getting in the way. Willpower is required of which I have very little. 

Spectacular views from the cafe at Hinze Dam

We had a lovely lunch at the café at Hinze Dam (remember Russ Hinze, one of Joh Bjelke Peterson’s mates – say no more) before heading back down the Range to Burleigh Heads where we had a couple of quiet drinks at the North Burleigh Heads Surf Club. Again the subject of pokies reared its ugly head and we couldn’t have enjoyed the relaxing ambience and stunning views without their financial contribution. We explained to Ross and Sue that our surf clubs were run by volunteers and there was no way that they could provide cheap meals and drinks no matter how stunning their location was. The power of population is also a contributing factor as surf clubs are studded all the way along the coastline with locals and tourists being able to take advantage of all the amenities the surf clubs have to offer after hours. It makes a big difference. Food for thought.

Burleigh Heads before sunset

Burleigh Heads after sunset

It was fantastic to drive further up the coast to Burleigh Heads to watch the intrepid surfers tackle the waves. We sat only metres away on the grassy banks and found it hard to believe that you could sit so close to the ocean without getting wet! Despite the overcast weather there were lots of other tourists and locals enjoying the view and staying on to watch the twinkling lights come on after the sunset at Burleigh Heads. It topped off a great day. Thanks Ross and Sue. See you in Broome in 2019!

Ross, CK and Sue being blown away at Burleigh Heads

GK outside Tenterfield's famous saddlery

It continued to rain as we left the Gold Coast and climbed the Great Dividing Range once again. We stopped at Nimbin for a walk around and found it hasn’t changed a bit since we visited in 2010. It is famous for its hippies, hemp and high times and the usual dreadlocked suspects were still roaming the streets smoking dope and going about their business. The shops were full of pot smoking equipment, sarongs, cheap jewellery and tapestry handbags. We found it all a bit grubby and not very enticing so we left and drove on through the familiar towns of Lismore, Casino and Tenterfield where we stopped for the obligatory photo of Peter Allen’s grandfather’s famous saddlery. 

Golden Guitar in Tamworth

As we are on the homeward trail we have been racking up some kilometres so we can fit in all on our ‘must see’ list. We have been through Glen Innes, Armidale and Uralla before so pushed on through some amazing farming country and made our way down the New England Highway to Tamworth, Australia’s home of Country Music. We couldn’t pass through without another photo of the huge Golden Guitar before finding a free camp to stay the night.

We have made a rule that we will never stay off road unless there are other vans parked for the night. When we pulled into Woolridge Creek it was deserted and very isolated. We were turning around and making our way up the track when two other vans pulled in. They weren’t travelling together and it was a coincidence that they arrived at the same time. We got chatting and all agreed that there was safety in numbers so we all decided to stay the night. It turned out to be great fun and GK got to use the firewood we have been carrying since Gympie. We sat around a roaring campfire, swapping yarns and travel tales before the nip in the air drove us inside. Nights like that make life on the road so much fun as you never know who you will bump into and what the day will bring. 

Mums and bubbies alongside our free camp

We have heard so much about Mudgee and are very keen to spend some time there so we were really disappointed to find all the caravan parks in town are booked out for a huge golf tournament. We have managed to get in on a cancelation in the next few days so have changed plans and have come to Dubbo instead to fill in time. There is lots to do here as well so will fill in our days seeing all the sites and visiting the Taronga Western Plains Zoo. The town is abuzz at the moment as it has been announced Prince Harry and Meaghan will visit before the Invictus Games in October. We will do a ‘reccie’ for them and give them all gen on what’s hot and what’s not. We will let you know all about it next week.

The sun has got its hat on once again and today is a glorious 29 degrees. Time to bring in all the delicious sun dried washing (I just love that smell!) fold it and put it away before setting off for a walk around town. I am ‘spelling’ my driver for a few days before the next big push down to Victoria. We don’t want any more incidents of vertigo when, heaven forbid, I will have to drive. Take care and love to all xxxx.

Week Eighteen: The Sunshine Coast

Lifelong friends at Noosa Yacht and Rowing Club - 2018

We thought we would have an anti-climatic week this week after the hi-jinx and carry on of the Muster but we received fantastic news that our oldest and dearest friends, Geoff and Marg MacFarlane from Melbourne, were holidaying in Noosa near where we were staying. Geoffo, as we call him, was GK’s Best Man and Marg was my Chief Bridesmaid at our wedding forty-seven years ago! We are no longer those carefree skinny ‘kids’ and there has been a lot of water under the bridge in those years with the highs and lows of married life and raising our families but whenever we catch up it is like we saw them yesterday. The laughs just keep coming especially when we reminisce about the good old days. Thanks Geoff and Marg for the fantastic catch up once again. It was an absolute bonus and made our week. xoxoxo.

Hawthorn Lodge - 26th May 1971

We are thrilled that the five kids we have between us are all great friends as well despite living on opposite sides of the country. There have been a few family get-togethers over the years and we love to sit back and listen to the chatter and easy banter as the kids catch up on all their news. The MacFarlanes are as close as family without the blood ties and we are extremely fortunate to have them in our lives. We love you to the moon and back. More xxxx’s 

Cotton Tree Caravan Park - Maroochydore

Despite the great time we spent with our old mates, our week wasn’t entirely without drama. After leaving the Amamoor Forest we travelled through the pretty historic villages of Kenilworth, Conondale and Maleny, over the rolling hills of the picturesque Mary Valley down to Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast. We had stayed at Cotton Tree Caravan Park six years ago and as all the caravan parks in Noosa were booked out, decided it would be a great spot for some R & R after the Muster. It is on the mouth of the Maroochy River where it meets the Pacific Ocean. Idyllic.

More views of the beach at Cotton Tree - worth finding!

GK’s usually superior sense of direction let us down quite badly as we drove up and down the busy streets of Maroochydore, towing the caravan, looking for the Park. He was positive he knew where it was but after twenty minutes of circling the town, traversing speed bumps and negotiating round-abouts I realized we were lost. I had the temerity to suggest stopping and asking for directions. The withering look I received said “No Way!” He would rather drive all night, run out of fuel or both before he would concede defeat. The last straw was when we drove through a pedestrian mall, weaving past water fountains, flower boxes and scattering unsuspecting holidaymakers. I unravelled myself from my foetal position under the dashboard and screamed “Enough!”

We pulled into the Yacht Club into a bay marked ‘Strictly Boats and Trailers Only’. There we began to master the intricacies of the GPS on our phone. We keyed in the name and address of the caravan park and up popped the map. No verbal instructions were forthcoming until we realized you have to press ‘Start’ to activate the ‘bitch’s’ voice (his word Kell – not mine). Who knew? Under Sissy Sue’s (her newly Christened name) precise instructions we pulled up ten minutes later to the gates of our destination. Halle-bloody-lujah!

Time to chill out on the beach

More dramas ensued, as we had to manoeuvre the van into a very tight site. GK’s already frazzled patience was sorely tested once again but with the help of our lovely Victorian neighbours on both sides he managed to park the van perfectly parallel to our slab. We proceeded to set up in stony silence but by Happy Hour all was forgiven, we had kissed and made up and ripped up the divorce papers. Some days are sent to try us.

Old mates - 1981

The Sunshine Coast lived up to its name and we had three lovely days walking along the beach and reading our books on the banks of the river in glorious sunshine. We drove up the coast to have lunch with Geoff and Marg at Sunshine Beach Surf Club one day and had tea at the superb Maroochydore RSL with our WA friends we met at the Muster. The RSL was like walking into a five star hotel thanks to the wealth created by the Pokies. It has a marble lined foyer, soaring glass walls and plush carpets in the lounge areas. Very swish but still not worth the angst and heartbreak that Pokies cause in my opinion. Just saying.

Old mates 2018 - enjoying the sunshine at Sunshine Surf Club near Noosa

We used Sissy Sue’s superior knowledge to lead us to our next caravan park in Tewantin closer to Noosa so we could see more of Geoff and Marg. Noosa is a very popular holiday destination with ‘Southerners’ or ‘Mexicans’ as Queenslanders call the thousands of shivering holidaymakers who travel to the Sunshine Coast to escape their freezing winters. Who can blame them? Locals become very frustrated with the influx but it does drive their economy so it is a case of making the most of the months that they are ‘inconvenienced.’ 

North Beach boy on Noosa Beach

Our plans to catch the very popular Noosa Ferry from Tewantin down the river to Noosa Heads were thwarted because we couldn’t get a parking spot in Tewantin for love or money. It was a shame because the ferry takes you from Tewantin, the heritage heart of Noosa, past the hire boats, old jetties and new restaurants at Noosaville, close to magnificent homes of Noosa Sound and into the centre of Noosa Heads with its famous beach, shops and eateries. We had caught the ferry years ago so decided to drive into Noosa and take a chance on getting a parking spot in town. Luck was with us and we spent a lovely afternoon strolling up and down Hastings Street indulging in some retail therapy before dining in one of the many streetside cafes where we watched the beautiful people dripping in diamonds and pearls and wearing their crumpled linen apparel. Lots of fun. 

View from Noosa Yacht Club

We had another magic day at the Noosa Yacht and Rowing Club where we lunched with Geoff and Marg where the views, food and company were superb. It was sad to say goodbye to our wonderful friends but we will see them again at Easter when they come over for Ben and Nic’s wedding. We are going to take them down to Margaret River after the wedding for a few days so there will lots more to catch up on by then. Can’t wait. Meanwhile the diet starts in earnest from now on. Got to get into a size 12 dress and there is only so much that Nancy Gantz Fancy Pantz can contain. Why do wine and chocolate taste so good? It’s not fair.

Some retail therapy in Montville

For Father’s Day we drove back up through the hills to visit the charming villages in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. The Three M’s as they are affectionately known are Mapleton, Montville and Maleny. We chose Montville to have lunch and joined the hundreds of other holidaymakers making the most of the glorious sunshine and escaping the hustle and bustle of the coastal towns. Nestled in the Glasshouse Mountains with stunning views across valley to the ocean, the small villages offer something for everyone from bush walks to fine dining with many art galleries and unique retail shops to mosie around and poke about. Phone calls from the kids capped off a fabulous day and GK felt very loved and special. We are both feeling a bit nostalgic now and signs of homesickness are sneaking in as we miss family and friends. 

Stunning views across the valley to Noosa and the ocean from the Glass House Mountains

The weather is not helping as it has started to rain and the Sunshine Coast is looking decidedly unsunny. We really can’t complain, although I will, as in the eighteen weeks we have been away it has only rained once and that was at Gympie last week. This week will make up for it as the forecast is for rain all week. It certainly puts a dampener (literally!) on everything as the beach here on Bribie Island looks quite miserable and uninviting at the moment. We were really looking forward to spending a few days here as we heard so much about it. Never mind. We will dash out when the sun peeks out and make the most of it. Hope all is well wherever you are in Oz. We are on the homeward trail now so will see you soon. Lots of love xxxx

 

More stunning views

On Geoff and Marg's Honeymoon (seriously!!) November 1971

Still having fun - 2012

Marg pregnant with Salli - 1975 (born 6th March 1976)

Kelly, GK, Marg, Geoffo, Salli and CK - Perth circa 1981

Jane, Kelly, Salli and Grace - Melbourne 2012

"Stop it Sall. I hate it" Salli showing Uncle Kegs some love

Hope you loved the flashbacks as much as we did.